Doctors know that UV light relieves psoriasis and eczema, but how? Use activated vitamin D did not give the same effect. It is now known that UV activates a group of genes called stress-genes, which produce stress proteins. These proteins are responsible for keeping the skin healthy and beautiful, and effectively clear up skin problems. Since UV can also cause DNA damage, skin-cancer and skin aging, it is not the ideal means to activate stress-genes. Many other forms of energy have been found to be not only more powerful than UV in activating stress-genes, but also more effective at clearing up skin problems.
Since heat is the safest energy, it does not cause DNA damage, or skin-cancer, and it is the most effect one in activate stress genes. Also, since the heat destroys toxins below the surface of the skin and shows the best results in clearing up skin-problems, the present invention is intended for the treatment of skin itch, skin rash, and related skin diseases by means of the controlled application of heat.
The use heat in the treatment of skin diseases has been known for a long time folk remedies using heat exist in many different cultures, and the origins of these remedies are often obscure.
However, the use of heat in the treatment of skin itch and rash is different from such treatment for other skin problems. An article in the British Journal of Dermatology 122(4):501-12, 1990, by Benee A Glover, Cynthia S. Bailey, Kim E. Barrett, S. I. Wasserman and Irma Gifli, of the Division of Dermatology and Allergy Department of Medicine, University of CA, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, Calif. entitled: Histamine release from rodent and human mast cells induced by proloporphyrin and ultraviolet light: studies of the mechanism of mast-cell activation in erythropoietic protoporphyria., deals with just this issue. In a study reported therein, it was found that heating or prolonged heating at temperatures lower than 45° C. exacerbates skin itch and rash, but does not have any detrimental effect on most other skin problems. Those temperature ranges found effective against itch and rash are generally in excess of 49° C., Sufficiently hot to result in pain if applied to the skin for more than 3 seconds.
Furthermore, for treating itch and rash the temperature must be maintained at the superficial surface, that is not deeper than dermis where the mast cells are located. This must be done without burning the skin, or causing excessive discomfort. The mast cells must be inactivated, but the inner part tissues such as blood vessels must be maintained at a safe temperature, thus avoiding edema and pain. This is so whether or not the inactivation of mast cells is the sole mechanism for stopping itch. There is some variation of the best effective temperature for treating itch and rash, depending on factors which are discussed below.
The inventor has found that different types of itches and rashes require different treatment temperatures. These best effective temperatures depend, inter alia, on whether the patient being treated is a child or an adult, and women or men, etc. All of the treatment temperatures required, however, are within a range of about 10° C. It has been found that the use of these best effective temperatures, to within a tolerance of plus or minus one-half, effectively avoids side effects, such as edema and rebound of itch. And, for some adults, temperatures below 49° C. should be avoid, as they worsen itch and rash, rather than providing relief. For some toddlers, temperatures above 49° C. should be avoid, as they are too hot. These toddlers will not allow you to apply such a heat, and in the case of a metal heater, for enough time, such as for at least 1-2 seconds, that is required to heat the dermis to the effective temperature. Therefore, the mast cells cannot be inactivated and the itch will be worsened. Temperatures around 49+/−0.5° C. have been fond optimum for most children, as have temperatures of 51.5+/−0.8° C. for adults, and of 47+/−0.5° C. for toddlers and some temperature sensitive women, in the case of itch. The temperature needs better control for temperature sensitive people, and areas, than for normal people. A variation of +/−0.25° C. or even narrower may be better for them.
Different parts of the body have also been found to have different best effective temperatures. For example, 50° C. is the best temperature for a child or an adult face, 52° C. for adult body and arm skin, and 54° C. for adult leg skin. If 50° C. is used for adult leg skin, which is thicker than the face skin, the itch will not be stopped, and side effects, such as edema and rebound of itch, may result. Furthermore, best effective temperature is also dependent upon the rate at which the skin is heated, and for that reason best effective temperature may change with a change in the material actually in contact with the skin. The above temperatures are for a planar steel heating surface, with a 9 volts and 350 mA power supply. Different power supplies may also cause the best effective temperatures to change.
New versions of the device are in development which will allow regulation of the temperature to take into account personal variations of the best effective temperature.
Experimental results, as well as the report of Glover, et al., Id, make it clear that the heating time of the skin should be as short as possible, while still receiving the benefit required. Thus the direct contact of the heating element to the skin provides the most direct method to effect an optimum treatment of this nature. This direct contact is accomplished in the present invention by a circular metal heat transfer surface of approximately one inch diameter. The direct contact also provides an advantage in controlling the speed to heat up the skin. Some materials can control the amount of heat to pass to the skin in a timely manner. They will be used as the skin heater, or be put on the surface of the skin-heater, so as to heat the skin to the desired temperature in a desired time. This will avoid the pain and effectively clear up the itch. The reason for this is because if the skin is heated up too fast, pain will result, and if heated too slowly, the itch will worsen.
At present, there exist a number of commercially available heating pads that apply heat to the skin for therapeutic purposes. However, none of these is effective against skin itch and rash, because none of them accurately and precisely apply the required temperatures for treating itch and rash. These heating pads are intended to heat a large area of the body for more than 20 minutes. They have to provide temperatures not significantly higher than 43° C., otherwise, they will cause burning. There are also commercially available devices like our Electronic Itch Stopper which is available at http://www.ItchStopper.com. They are all covered by our prior applications before they came on the market.
Other apparatuses that are already known to heat the skin for therapeutic purposes are as described, for example, in the documents of U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,657 (Chen); U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,531 (Choi); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,589 (Cosman). None of these have provisions to precisely control and maintain temperature, as required of the current invention. It is so obvious that U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,517 (Takenaka) cannot provide a specific and a narrowed temperature, which is essential for skin itching problems and required of the current invention.
Other old methods of heat treatment for skin ailments include the use of scalding water to heat the skin to stop itch. This method obviously can not be done with the amount of control required to effect the best effective temperature, or with control of the time of application. For these reasons, this method has been abandoned.
Our invention has shown great success both in our clinical trials and in practical use by consumers in the treatment of insect bites, psoriasis, eczema, acne, hives, poison ivy/oak, dermatitis, allergic skin itching, renal failure skin itching, hepatitic skin itching, and all other skin itches. It erases the itch in seconds, and clears acute and chronic skin problems quickly.
The apparatus disclosed in detail below is both practical and economical to use. In addition to its preferred forms it may be made in a variety of sizes and shapes.
The device includes easy-to-understanding instructions which specify the best effective temperature for a variety of skin conditions, skin types, and ages. A light indicator located on the body of the invention flashes when the heater reaches the predetermined temperature commanded by the temperature selector, and the user is instructed not to apply the heater until this indicator flashes. In alternate embodiments, a sonic signal is used to indicate that the devices has reached its operating temperature.
A further alternative embodiment includes a heating surface which repetitively retracts and extends. This automatic intermittent application of the heater is especially important when higher temperatures are required for the treatment, since higher temperature require shorter application times, repeated at short intervals.
Because the effective temperature against itch can be so high as to be intolerable if applied for longer than 3 seconds, means are provided to heat the skin to the effective temperature range, such as 52° C., for about 2 seconds and then let it cool down to a tolerable temperature, such as 47° C., for about half second. This process is repeated for between one to ten minutes in order to cure skin diseases.